Gratitude

Fall time - Tree with red leaves

From Trust to Joy…

In The Return of the Prodigal Son, Henri Nouwen wrote, “Both trust and gratitude require the courage to take risks because distrust and resentment, in their need to keep their claim on me, keep warning me how dangerous it is to let go of my careful calculations and guarded predictions. At many points I have to make a leap of faith to let trust and gratitude have a chance. The leap of faith always means loving without expecting to be loved in return, giving without wanting to receive, inviting without hoping to be invited, holding without asking to be held. And every time I make a little leap, I catch a glimpse of the One who runs out to me and invites me into his joy, the joy in which I can find not only myself, but also my brothers and sisters.”

Take a moment now to reflect on where you’ve experienced the Lord this past week and to what degree trust was involved. How did or does your experience help you to trust or to have faith, placing hope in the Lord with regards to a situation(s)? What happens when you bring areas in which your trust has possibly shifted away, back into prayer and back to the Lord?

Continuing to contemplate your experience, what qualities or characteristics that you associate with the Lord, are most noticeable? And how do these same qualities inform, influence, and inspire you and your choices?

The Gospel for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 10:46-52) begins in a sea of people, from within which, Bartimaeus, the blind man, is calling out to the Lord. And despite others around him telling him to stop and to keep quiet, he keeps calling out, “Son of David, have pity on me!” (v. 48).

Imagine what Bartimaeus might be holding in his heart as he’s trying to get Jesus’ attention? How about Jesus? What might be in his heart as he navigates through the crowd? What qualities do they each seem to have that might be informing, influencing, and inspiring them? What do each of them seem to be focused on?

Next, notice how Jesus receives and responds to Bartimaeus, the blind man who has let his guard down and opened himself up to both chance and Grace.

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
“Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”
Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.”
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way. – Mk 10:49-52

Jesus is essentially saying: I’m here and I’m listening… I see you… I hear you… Come closer… Tell me more. And Bartimaeus, by coming closer and sharing more with Jesus, is able to receive peace, healing, and greater faith.

Take whatever you are focused on, to Jesus, the One who is, who was, and who will ever be—here for you, listening to you, seeing and hearing you, and always saying, come closer, tell me more.

Then, after a period of sharing and listening, envision Jesus saying the same to you as he did to Bartimaeus, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.”

The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. – Psalm 126:3

In the Light…

Standing up to take a break, stretch a little, and take a few steps around before returning to work in a temporary workspace for the day, the sign pictured below came into view. I read it and looked around some more. Taking in the environment and noticing more fully the ambience created by the natural light, gratitude and appreciation arose for the light and the souls who not only thought to share these interesting facts about sunlight and its benefits, but who also acted to shed the light, both in word and experience.

Oftentimes in the course of a day or week, we can be quick to move from task to task, and perhaps we miss the sign, put off the call, or rush through or past it, on the way to something else. Yet, much of the time, that thing, whatever it may be, that has a greater hold on our attention, robs us, “like a thief in the night,” of being present in a moment or for an opportunity to experience that which enlivens the soul, helps us to look beyond our own, often limited, schedules, scopes, or agendas, and reminds us of what’s really important—our connectedness, how we respect and appreciate each other—differences and all—and how we share our time and what we have, as blessings from Above.

The Lord is kind and merciful. – Psalm 103:8a

More Than Pieces…

Pieces, everything comes in pieces.
Our coming and our going,
Who we are and what we do,
Hours, minutes, seconds of each day.
Sometimes, taken as a whole,
Might we miss or gloss over gold,
The little things as not worth the time of day?
Though precious is each moment,
Taken alone and on its own,
Might we miss or gloss over gold,
The broader view as just another day?
Pieces, broken down and shared,
Everything is pieces,
Of a picture big and small,
Glossy gold and full of glimpses,
Captured best holding one another,
Drawing strength and beauty altogether,
Being grateful for it all.

“Everything that is in the heavens, on earth, and under the earth is penetrated with connectedness, penetrated with relatedness.” – Hildegard Von Bingen

An Advent Prayer: Lord, help me to hold the pieces of my life together, big and small, easy and challenging and all that falls between, with great love and care, trusting that it is really You, the King of Glory (Ps 24:10b), who holds them all… who holds us all. And help me to continue to look to you, that you may grant me the grace to notice and appreciate the beauty and goodness of all creation, and the heart and soul of those I encounter each day.

Peace Dwells Within…

That which was spoken long ago,

Holds true still, even in this day and age.

Peace, it dwells within,

And cannot come from that which is external.

Listen to Paul, who once was murderous Saul,

Filled with conviction,

Really hate, disguised as a passion he thought was right.

The Lord opened his heart,

Corrected his vision,

And led him to turn from his ways.

His conviction remained.

His passion transformed,

From one that was steal.

Redeemed one might say,

By the Way that is true,

By the One who is always waiting,

For the other to come around.

Peace is about embracing possibilities,

Seeking Grace and gratitude,

Being open to ways that differ,

And accepting differences,

Without surrendering to them.

Peace comes in discovery

As well as in re-discovery,

In going out into the world,

Remembering in whose image all are created,

Holding true to oneself,

And allowing others to do the same.

Peace, it dwells within,

But its effects go well beyond.

And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. – Col 3:15

It Travels and Echoes…

Waking up to the sounds of birds singing to each other,
Calling back and forth,
Noise bouncing here and there—echoes,
Do they realize how far their voices reach?
What is their intention?
What’s that now?
What do they say?
Something familiar, something new,
They whistle in possibilities,
And the newness of the day.
What is my intention?
How does it travel?
What do I say?
Do I realize the blessing that comes with this new day?

The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. – Psalm 126:3

Merci…

Over the past week, each morning has brought with it, the singing of birds in the backyard and surrounding areas. Their music, coming in the minutes prior to any alarm clock or sleep timer signifying the need to get going in a “time is running out” kind of way, has been mostly a pleasant way to move from sleep toward movement into the happenings of the day, and the ongoing heaviness of the times in which we live. Listening as the birds sing their tune, gratitude arises.

It is as if, the birds are trying share anticipation and excitement for the day. It is as if they are trying to say, as Maya Angelou wrote so beautifully, “This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.” They sing, and sing some more.

While hearing their songs more prominently in the morning, before the air starts to become filled with waves of other sounds along the way, when I listen carefully, I remember that they also sing all throughout the day. When I look more carefully, I can clearly see. Sometimes they fly, sometimes they perch, and other times they soar. Certainly they have their quiet moments too. Then there’s night, when silence comes. Yet, it seems, whatever darkness night may hold, still when morning comes, they sing their praise… trusting that the gift of the day, and the One who has granted it, is far greater than whatever may be in store.

May the God of all peoples, and all creation, inspire a song of thanks and praise at the start of each day.

May the God of mercy and compassion, inspire a song of love and care for, and to, all, throughout each day.

May the God of all peoples, and all creation, inspire a song of thanks and praise at the mid of each day.

May the God of comfort, peace, and strength, inspire a song of faith, hope, and trust at all moments throughout each day.

May the God of all peoples, and all creation, inspire a song of thanks and praise, at the end of each day.

Red

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.” – John 20:19-23